BOSTON – The Boston Bruins (31-20-3) went to overtime for the second straight night, defeating the Nashville Predators (24-23-5) 3-2 at the TD Garden.
David Pastrnak (22) scored the game-winning goal 15 seconds into the extra frame. Hampus Lindholm (4) and Morgan Geekie (30) recorded the other two goals for the Bruins.
Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves and recorded his 21st win of the season. Four of those saves came on the Predators’ power play.
Nikita Zadorov returned for the Bruins; he missed Monday’s game with an injury he sustained on Saturday.
The Bruins entered the game having gone 4-2-0 on their second night of a back-to-back, and with a win, improved that number to 5-2-0.
The Bruins opened the scoring on Tuesday night.
Hampus Lindholm collected a feed from Mason Lohrei and directed a shot toward Juuse Saros. The puck went over Saros and into the net to give Boston an early lead.
Lindholm was named to the Swedish Olympic team earlier on Tuesday afternoon.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. During the first, they had an 8-6 shots advantage and outhit the Predators 9-5.
The second period started, and at the 2:48 mark, one of the Bruins’ hottest sticks this season got on the board again. Morgan Geekie collected a David Pastrnak feed and drove toward Saros’ cage. Geekie beat the Finnish Olympian with a high shot from 20 feet away.
Geekie has points in the last five games (5-2–7).
The Bruins drew three penalties in the second period and killed the first two.
On the third, however, Roman Josi drove a slapshot from the top of the circle, which got by Jeremy Swayman.
The third period started quietly, and with the Bruins holding a one-goal lead, much like Monday night in New York.
Nick Blankenburg then scored with 6:43 remaining to tie the game for Nashville.
The game went to overtime, tied at two.
Although they spent most of the third period chasing a lead, the Predators outshot Boston 11-6.
Nashville did not possess the puck in the fourth frame. Once the Bruins won the initial faceoff, they moved into the offensive zone. Marat Khusnutdinov, Charlie McAvoy, and David Pastrnak cycled the puck around the three Predators’ skaters.
Charlie McAvoy wheeled to the left side of the ice and used his backhand to find Pastrnak crashing the net, and he tapped in the game-winning goal.
Pastrnak recorded a goal and an assist, and now has 14 points (3-11–14) in the last eight games.
The Bruins have recorded eight straight home wins and sit in the second wild-card spot. The team continues at home on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers (24-18-9).